Vietnam Human Rights Network

Toward the end of the 1990s, the increasing repression of dissidents by the Vietnamese authorities at home and the collapse of many communist dictatorial regimes in Eastern Europe, especially through non-violent revolutions, led many Vietnamese human rights activists and organizations to the realization that a worldwide coordination is needed to maximize the efficiency of efforts to improve human rights in Vietnam. As a result, on 1 November 1997, a founding convention was held in Santa Ana, California, gathering a consortium of activists representing a variety of human rights organizations from around the world. After two days of deliberation, it was decided to form the Vietnam Human Rights Network, and a By-laws was adopted to serve as the basis for operation of the organization. By 2000 the VNHRN obtained its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

Since its founding, the VNHRN has held up to now (2019) fourteen Conventions gathering participants from many countries in the world to go over past operations, assess the human rights situations in Vietnam and in the world, and lay out the general directions and future activities.

As a network, participating organizations are entirely equal in their standing and votes, the only condition being that they work together on common projects while retaining their identity as individual organizations with their own activities. For coordination purpose, VNHRN consists of three main bodies: the Coordinating Committee, The Supervisory Board, and the Advisory Board.[1] Up to now (2016), the following three persons have been entrusted with the function of heading the Coordination Committee: Prof. Nguyen Thanh Trang (1997–2005 and 2007–2009), Mr. Le Minh Nguyen (2005–2007), Mr. Nguyen Kim Binh (2017-2019, and Dr. Nguyen Ba Tung (2007-2017, and 2019 up to present).

The activities of VNHRN are aimed at three main goals:

Information and Education

• Producing Human Rights Newsletter.
• Establishing a website on the Internet to rapidly disseminate human rights news and developments, http://www.vietnamhumanrights.net/
• Translating and publishing the International Human Rights Code, documents and writings on human rights for dissemination both inside Vietnam and in the Diaspora.
• Organizing human rights seminars and conferences in Montreal (Canada), Sydney (Australia), Munich (Germany), Paris (France), Washington DC, New York (NY), Orlando (FL), New Orleans (LA), Houston and Dallas (TX), Westminster, Los Angeles, San Jose, Sacramento, and San Diego (CA), Seattle and Tacoma (WA), Denver (CO), etc ...
• Publishing Annual Human Rights Reports (since 2009).

Seeking International Support

• Cooperating with international human rights organizations such as American and Chinese, Burmese and Tibetan NGOs, as well as with the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner's Office, the UN Human Rights Council, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reporters sans Frontières, etc. . .
• Participating in the Vietnam Human Rights Day (May 11 every year) held annually at the U.S. Senate since 1998.
• Meeting with both executive and legislative branches of a number of countries so as to seek support for human rights in Vietnam, such as a meeting held with U.S. President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney in the White House (on 29 May 2007), or one with Honorable Geoffrey Harris, Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the European Union (on 6 May 2008)…
• Participating in several international conferences on human rights, such as the 2000 United Nations Millennium Forum in New York, the 2003 International Conference for Human Rights in the Netherlands, the First World Forum for Democratization in Asia (Taipei, Taiwan, 2005), the Third International Conference on Human Rights Education in Cracow Poland, 2012…

Providing Support to Activists inside Vietnam

• Establishing annual Vietnam Human Rights Awards and awarding them to outstanding human rights activists (since 2002).
• Helping financially and for medical reasons those activists who run into difficulties.

Since 2002, the Vietnam Human Rights Network has presented annual Awards to selected human rights activists and organizations in Vietnam who have made their mark in the inexorable march towards freedom, human rights and democracy of the Vietnamese people. It is also an opportunity for Vietnamese in the Diaspora to express their solidarity with and support for those involved in the relentless fighting for basic rights and justice for Vietnamese people. The prize-awarding ceremony was held every year in different locations around the world on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day (December 10).[2] After over a decade of existence, the Vietnam Human Rights Awards have received positive marks from both inside and outside of Vietnam,[3][4][5] despite sharp criticism by the Vietnamese authorities.[6][7][8][9][10]

List of VNHRA Recipients

The Vietnam Human Rights Network has published its annual reports on Human Rights in Vietnam as of 2009.[11] The reports outline recent human rights developments in Vietnam and egregious human rights violations by the government of Vietnam against its citizens' fundamental rights. As cooperative works of many human rights activists in Vietnam and in the Diaspora, those annual reports give a truthful picture of the human rights situation in Vietnam. Original stories are cross-checked and compared with related sources, such as social networks (Facebook, individual blogs, Twitter etc.), international news or research organizations, and even Vietnamese government news sources and data. The reports include a number of chapters corresponding to the fundamental human rights set forth by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Recommendations include concrete and feasible propositions sent to the government of Vietnam, foreign governments and international organizations that have business with Vietnam. The reports also include appendices listing the names of prisoners of conscience currently held in jail or under house arrest.

The existence and activities of VNHRN have drawn fierce criticism from the Vietnamese authorities as "a reactionary organization of Vietnamese in exile... hiding behind the shield of 'democracy and human rights' to oppose the Vietnamese government through slander and distortions."[12]